Monthly Archives: December 2014

The history of the study of water in science and art has interesting points of convergence and tells quite a story of the way humans have interacted with water over centuries. While many might regard water as little more than the humble content of every day tea and coffee, the study of water has been central to recent science and the human use of water in machines can be traced over millennia. Rivers have also captured the imagination of artists for centuries. Given it is essential for life it is perhaps no surprise that water holds a central and significant place in the world view of Māori and other indigenous groups.

Without going into too much of the science, the study of turbulence was central to the development of Chaos Theory. Edward Lorenz’s computer model of the weather was a defining point. The onset of turbulence was compellingly studied by Ernst Libchaber, and even dripping taps have been studied in the name of Chaos Theory. Mandelbrot’s ideas about scaling, self-similarity and fractals are important, as the scale change between dripping taps and weather systems indicates.

Some interesting imagery has arisen in the course of the study of flow and turbulence. A Von Karman Vortex Street sounds like an exotic location but is actually imagery from the study of turbulence, where Von Karman led the way. Here is an image below:

The images are made by having a small cylinder filled with dye, which has a smaller hole in it, on the side in the direction water is flowing. As the flow rate increases, the line of dye becomes wavy, then spiral like forms branch off. Once the flow is over a certain rate, the street becomes completely turbulent. Karman Vortex Streets on rare occasions can be seen in clouds, showing that there is a general principle of flow being seen.

Many New Zealanders, whether or not Māori will intuitively recognise in the flowing forms above, the painted rafter patterns seen in Whare Nui (Meeting Houses). It turns out that Kowhaiwhai (the name of the technique of the painted rafter patterns) have origins in canoe paddle decoration for which there are early examples from Ngai Tamanuhiri, seen in the image below.

It is striking that the whorls of flowing forms running up scales from the tiny to the large are found in both the science and the paddle decoration. A sense of flow escalating is also found in art, most notably in the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.

Ian Clothier (1990). After da Vinci: studies of water passing obstacles and falling into a pool c.1508-9. Pencil on paper.

Da Vinci was famous for among many other things likening the motion of the surface of water to hair. He used also used his studies of water to generate the grand fictions known as the Deluge Drawings, which capture the intensity of the artists view of water and nature.

Da Vinci was of course known for many things: scientist, engineer, sculptor, painter, armourer and his engagement with the technology of the day was notable. Water itself holds an interesting place in the development of technology, because the origins of the computer are traceable back through calculators to automata, then through to weaving looms and back further to water clocks. These reached a zenith of sorts around the 12th century Muslim Turkey. Al Jazari lived in the Islamic golden era, and is credited with bringing mechanics into engineering and combining these with a sense of beauty. The efficient and beautiful use of water are hallmarks of his work.

More recently, UK artist Susan Derges has blended art and science by submerging large photographic plates in estuarine waters and using a flash to take an image of the swirls and eddies created by sand moving in turbulent suspension.

And even more recently that that, the subject of water, flow, turbulence and Māori world view have been integrated by Māori New Zealander Jo Tito, whose work was included in the curated exhibition Wai in Albuquerque in 2012.

The original Mangorei power station much of which is still in use today. Image sourced from: Puke Ariki Learning and Research archives.

New Zealand has an early history of drawing on hydro power to produce electricity. The Taranaki district in particular, has been a pioneer in the use of hydro-powered electricity, establishing 7 of New Zealand’s 14 public sources of electricity in the early times.

Taranaki takes the prize as the most electrically-minded province during the early years of power generation in New Zealand. Neil Rennie writing in 1989 from Power to the People [see note 1 below].

Taranaki’s early sources of electricity stemmed from hydroelectric schemes that drew from the water supplies and many streams that surround Mt Taranaki/Egmont. Demand for a public source of electricity began to increase as New Plymouth’s urban population grew. Additionally, local farmers, who were originally self reliant on their self generated sources of electricity, began to use more industrialised technologies. These technologies required a steady supply of electricity. Consequently the new farming methods provided a practical and economic justification for the establishment public power schemes.

In the beginning of the 20th century Mangorei Power station was established on the Waiwhakaiho River near Burgess Park. In its early stages Mangorei power station was constructed to be a combined water and electricity supply. It provided power to 41 homes as well as New Plymouth’s street lights in urban areas. During this era of its development the Mangorei power station required a mere 1200-metre water supply that was then piped directly from the Waiwhakaiho River to its neighbouring generating station.

In the summer time power was often unreliable as the water levels along the Waiwhakaiho would run low. In response to this dilemma local government commissioned the construction of a dam along the Māngamāhoe Stream in 1914. Consequently a new intake was also constructed further up the Waiwhakaiho River and a 420-metre open water race led to the dam [2]. Unfortunately this extension on the Mangorei Power Station was not as efficient as its original design; the Māngamāhoe Stream intake frequently became blocked by stones, boulders and other debris which required removal by hand. The development of this system however has left a historical mark in Taranaki as the piles of boulders that were removed by local residents by hand from the stream, have remained alongside the intake.

In 1971 the original low-head dam that accompanied this structure was rebuilt and replaced by another low-head dam several meters downstream. The remains of the first dam and its intake to the power station may still be seen a few metres up from the second dam [3].

From its humble beginnings in 1906 the Mangorei Power Station continues to be one of New Zealand’s oldest operating power stations. Although it has much evolved from its original from its evidence of its earlier structures can still be traced as it remains a central component of Taranaki’s and New Zealand’s industrial heritage [4].

Being part of a community involves interacting with those who are not like you – they may be different in age, gender, ethnicity or culture. Managing spots on a river for whitebaiters requires delicate maneuvers and where this is not managed well, the situation can become contentious and explosive.

Whitebaiting for many is muli-generational. To find out about local whitebaiting on the Waiwhakaiho and to make connections to this community Jessica Clark walked up and down the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River during high tide and approached the whitebaiters that were there on the day. She spoke to six whitebaiters, 3 women and 3 men; all of them were over 50. She took notes of their stories, and following are the common themes that emerged during conversations with them.

Three of the whitebaiters spoken to were retired, and they told me that most of the people who whitebait during the working week are retired. They also mentioned that this group of retired whitebaiters deliberately choose not to whitebait on the weekends. This is because the Waiwhakaiho River and Te Rewa Rewa Bridge are busy on the weekends. One man Clark spoke to called Tom said “Us oldies do it for the peace and quiet, so the weekends don’t suit us because that’s a busy time here. So the oldies know to leave the white baiting to the young ones on the weekends.” The other whitebaiters who were not retired were part time workers or were beneficiaries, and were therefore able to whitebait during the week.

Freshly caught whitebait.

Five out of six of the people that she spoke with had been white baiting since their childhood. Their parents or grandparents had taught them how to whitebait and they had been doing it ever since. They also mentioned the changes they had witnessed in whitebait populations across the seasons. Three out of these five whitebaiters said that there seemed to be a trend in whitebait populations, saying that they often experienced two or three seasons of low population levels and then the following season they would see a dramatic increase in population across the Waiwhakaiho and other Taranaki rivers. They all told me that this year had been a particularly good year.

The Voice and The Fitzroy Centenary are free Taranaki newspapers. Ron Mells is a local resident who has lived in New Plymouth all his life, has a self-confessed passion for writing and many of his stories have been regular features in these news papers. Ron, who was once the proud owner of a local grocery store, first began writing articles for these papers to promote the specials in his grocery. He came to enjoy this process of writing articles for these papers and this soon developed into a regular hobbies. However as his passion for writing grew so did the content of his articles. Ron told the Living lab research team that besides writing, his other passion was trout fishing along the Waiwhakaiho River. Consequently he began to write stories about trout fishing and other goings on at the Waiwhakaiho River. Having lived along the Waiwhakaiho River all his life, Ron has many memories on about the river and has published a collection of the social histories that surround the river. He has kindly agreed share some of the articles from his collection, so that they may be published on the website and enjoyed by other local residents.

Ron’s articles are featured below.An article written by Ron that details the history of Fitzroy published in The Fitzroy Centenary.

A photograph of the celebrations that were held on the opening of the 1904 Waiwhakaiho Bridge.An article written by Ron that explores the meaning of the name Waiwakaiho. Published in the Fitzroy Centenary.An image of the 1859 Puriri Bridge as published in The Fitzroy Centenary.An article written by Ron that details the establishment of the Fitzroy suburb as published in the Fitzroy Centenary.

NPKC members embarking on the annual paddle feast white water kayaking event.

Whilst there are many interesting local histories about New Plymouth residents and their relationships with the Waiwhakaiho River, an important facet of Sharing the Waiwhakaiho is to talk to current residents, including young people and understand their experiences of interacting with the river. The New Plymouth Kayak Club (NPKC) is one such group. The NPKC consists of a group of adventurers intent on making the most of the river rapids offered by the Waiwhakaiho. With regular and seasonally organised adventure outings that include White Water Kayak exploration, Sea Kayaking and Canoe Polo NPKC members share a love of white water kayaking and the natural environment that encases New Plymouth.

Promoting the conservation of the Waiwhakaiho River and river conservation across Taranaki is a primary foundation of the NPKC. As their website says, they aim To promote and advance the participation in White Water Kayaking including but not limited to White Water Kayak exploration, Sea Kayaking, Canoe Polo, River conservation by Taranaki residents and members.

Mark Garner a member of NPKC shared many of his white water stories with the living lab research team. He has kindly agreed to share some photos he has collected over the years of the white water kayakers in action.

NPKC members white water kayaking.

The NPKC website provides a calendar and details of up and coming white water events, as well as a discussion forum and a photo gallery for club members to upload many of the photos and videos they take of white water activities. Their website also provides information about how to get involved in white water kayaking or become a member of the NPKC.

Garner shared his passion for white water with the Living Lab research team. Revealing that the Waiwhakaiho River is a prime spot for white water kayaking, NPKC members readily get an adrenalin rush as they take on the force of the river by adventuring through the rapids. The photos provided by Mark illustrate this experience, and the above image shows several kayakers battling through the white water rapids of the Waiwhakaiho. Garner informed the living lab research team that members of the NPKC happy being on the river for hours at a time engaging in this adrenalin rush.

His experiences of white water kayaking reveals a contemporary view of the way in which current New Plymouth residents come together and form social groups through mutual interest in the Waiwhakaiho River. A popular site for white water rapids is the Meetings of the waters, where the Mangamahoe hydro lake outlet meets the Waiwhakaiho River, not far upstream from Tupare.

Te Rewa Rewa Cluster refers to the mixtures of heritage located around the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho: it is the site of an important pah, the outlet of the Waiwhakaiho River to the sea and an important point in the much loved coastal walkway. Here the heritage of times past mixes with natural and human made waterways, fishing and recreation.

An aerial photograph of the current Te Rewa Rewa Bridge. The bridge provides an extension of the existing New Plymouth Coastal Walkway into the suburb of Bell Block by crossing the Rewarewa Reserve, which is sacred land of the Ngati Tawhirikura tribe. The bridge’s distinct form resembles whale bone which symbolises the sacred relationship between the land, sea and wind for the local Ngati Tawhirikura. Image source from: Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) New Zealand.

New Plymouth as a region has a long and distinct social history of bridges, particularly in relation to the Waiwhakaiho River. This history stems from early settler years and follows through to today, whereby the current Te Rewa Rewa Bridge continues to be well loved by many New Plymouth residents and remains a popular pedestrian bridge enjoyed by many on the weekends.

The concept of a bridge that crossed the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River was first suggested in 1842 by Frederic Alonzo Carrington who was one of New Plymouth’s city fathers.

Father of New Plymouth and the Chief Surveyor for the Plymouth Company: Frederic Alonzo Carrington. Image sourced from: Puke Ariki, Learning and Research Archives.

By 4 November Carrington had produced a map of the future New Plymouth. It included a suspension bridge that spanned across the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River. However it is important to note that Carrington’s site was criticised by many residents for its lack of a harbour, additionally Maori disputed possession over their lands.

Originally a suspension bridge was built using chains and puketea timber. However over time the chains began to erode through the puketea timber supports and eventually The Bridge collapsed into the river and the remains of it were washed away. Other wooden suspension bridges were built to replace this bridge however they too slowly deteriorated over time and failed to with stand the force of the Waiwhakaiho River.

Years passed before anyone attempted to rebuild the bridge. During this period there were many fatalities as early settler communities struggled to cross the Waiwhakaiho River, particularly during winter when flooding occurred. Local government responded to this problem by commissioning the construction of a puri puri bridge in 1857.

This bridge was constructed on March 3, prior to the Maori land wars. Consequently during the land war battles of Taranaki in 1860 the army lost control of this bridge for a week, as Maori had seized control of Fitzroy. Taranaki Daily News reports:

“The commanding officer in New Plymouth, worried that the bridge had been burnt down, signalled volunteers from the Bell Block stockade to check the rumours. A small party of men rode into Fitzroy from Bell Block as far as the Mangaone hill and returned with the news the bridge was safe”(Taranaki Daily News, 2012).

Unfortunately in 1867 the puri puri bridge was badly damaged during a period of heavy flooding. During this time the use of concrete within engineering was a new and innovative concept. New Zealand began to commission the establishment of various concrete structures, many of which “were unique even in world terms” (Reed, Schoonees & Salmond, 2008, p. 12).

The New Plymouth district in particular pioneered several early concrete structures between 1850 and 1860 (Thornton, 1996). One such structure happens to be the refurbishment of the 1867 puri puri bridge. The remains of the 1867 bridge were rebuilt and reinforced by a ferro-concrete bridge.

“The structure comprised four arches, two of 10m span and two of 20m, with a 7m iron carriageway and two footways. The iron weighed 20kg a metre. More than 32 tonnes of steel were used in the construction (Taranaki Daily New, 2012).”

Here is a black and white etching of the former concrete bridge.

A black and white etching of the ferro-concrete bridge crossing the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River.

This bridge was opened in 1907 by Mr Brown, who was the chairman of the county council. Many of the local residents who had helped erect the old bridges were present as the concrete bridge was built.

To celebrate the construction of the new concrete bridge a parade which included members of the county council in bullock wagon drawn by two oxen, followed by local residents crossed the bridge. A public luncheon was then held along the Waiwakaiho River banks, followed later by a community ball at the Masonic Hotel (Taranaki Daily News, 2012).

A newspaper clipping from the Taranaki Herald published October 18th 1907 informing New Plymouth residents about the establishment of the new ferro-concrete bridge and the celebrations that followed. Image sourced from: Papers Past.

The seismic network around the mountain is designed to detect dangerous events, which could have cataclysmic impacts on humans. So how do the authorities cope with the threat? Vince Neall talks about measures in place.

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Red earth, iron oxide, Haematite - this naturally occurring mineral is found in abundance on Mt Taranaki, flowing down the Kokowai stream to the Waiwhakaiho River. Source: Te Ara with permission from Te Papa Tongarewa the Museum of New Zealand.